Residents have returned to the Brodhead Apartments after an evacuation because of a gas leak Thursday morning.

Residents have returned to the Brodhead Apartments after an evacuation because of a gas leak Thursday morning.

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Updated: 6:04 PM EDT Mar 24, 2016

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WEBVTT BOB. REPORTER: IT'S A GOOD THING IT WAS NICE WEATHER TODAY, MANY OF THE RESIDENTS SPENT THE ENTIRE AFTERNOON OUTSIDE WHILE THE GAS, THE NATURAL GAS AIRED OUT OF THE BUILDING. FIREFIGHTERS SAY THE LEVELS OF THAT GAS WERE SO DENSE THERE WAS A REAL RISK OF AN EXPLOSION. RESIDENTS GRABBED THEIR PETS AND SAT OUTSIDE FORCED TO LEAVE THEIR BUILDING, SOME TOLD ME THEY NOTICED THE GAS FILLING THE BROAD HEAD APARTMENT BUILDING ON 12th STREET IN BEAVER FALLS. >> THE GAS TOWN STAIRS, WE GOT A GAS LEAK AND WE WERE TOLD TO EVACUATE. REPORTER: 44 PEOPLE LIVED IN THIS BEAVER COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY BUILDING, MANY OF THEM SENIORS, AND SOME NEEDED HELP GETTING OUT. FIREFIGHTERS SAY THE DANGER WAS REAL, NATURAL GAS HAD FILLED THE BASEMENT AND WAS IN THE WALLS AND LEVELS HIGH ENOUGH TO BLOW UP. >> THE PERCENTAGES THAT THEY FOUND WERE WITHIN AN EXPLOSIVE RANGE. IF IT FIND AN IGNITION SOURCE THE POSSIBILITY OF AN EXPLOSION EXISTED. REPORTER: COLUMBIA GAS CREWS STAR EDDYING UP THE STREET TO GET TO THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM. THEY BELIEVE OLD PIPES SPRUNG A LEAK. BEAVER FALLS FIREFIGHTERS BROUGHT SOME OF THE RESIDENTS TO A NEARBY CHURCH. THEY ALSO HAD A BUS FOR THEM TO SIT IN AND VOLUNTEERS BROUGHT OVER DOUGHNUTS AND WATER. OFFICIALS SAY NO ONE GOT SICK FROM BREATHING THE AIR. IN ALL IT TOOK ABOUT FIVE HOURS TO GET THE GAS CLEARED OUT OF THE BUILDING AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING WAS SAFE TO GO BACK INSIDE. AS OF RIGHT NOW EVERYTHING IS

Gas leak prompts evacuation of senior apartments in Beaver Falls

Residents have returned to the Brodhead Apartments after an evacuation because of a gas leak Thursday morning.